Connecting means for windshield wiper blade

ABSTRACT

A plastic, box-shaped element, attached to an oscillating, Ushaped support, releasably holds an automotive wiper blade by means of a spring that has a first portion captured within the box-shaped element and a second or toothed portion that is in engagement with the wiper blade.

United States Patent Inventor Dario Arman Strada Comunale Druento-Venaria, Druento, Torino, Italy App]. No. 781,544

Filed Dec. 5, I968 Patented July 20, 1971 Priority July 30, 1968 Italy CONNECTING MEANS FOR WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE 1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 15/250.32 Int. Cl B605 1/04, A47] 1/02 [50] Field of Search i. l5/250.32, 250.33

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,770 12/1959 Scinta l5/250.32 3,049,743 8/1962 Graczyk et al l5/250.32

Primary Examiner- Peter F eldman AtlorneyClari0 Ccccon ABSTRACT: A plastic, box-shaped element, attached to an oscillating, U-shaped support, releasably holds an automotive wiper blade by means of a spring that has a first portion captured within the box-shaped element and a second or toothed portion that is in engagement with the wiper blade.

CONNECTING MEANS FOR WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE 1 This invention relates generally to windshield wipers and more particularly to an improvement in an attachment that forms the releasable connection between the end of the oscillating arm and the back support of a windshield wiper blade in motor vehicles in general.

As is known, in windshield wiper devices, the wiping blade must be easily detachable from its oscillating arm and yet must not be susceptible of accidental disconnection. To accomplish this, devices are widely employed wherein a spring member, carried by the back support of the blade, presses the oscillating arm end against the'support bottom. A stop pin engaging a cooperating seat assures the connection between the two parts, in the longitudinal direction.

In the attaching devices so far employed lamel or; thin plate spring member is directly mounted in contact with the metal surfaces of the channel-shaped support and: therefore, during operation of thewindshield-wiper device, and as a result of torsional stresses to which the wiping blade is subjected, the attaching device presents transverse clearance that causes troublesome noise.

The main object of the present invention is to providea connection to the above-mentioned type, wherein the connected parts have such a structure as toavoid any noise during operation.

Another object the present invention is to provide an-improved connection having a'simple structurethat iseasily disconnected by depressing a springlike' thin'plate' orflamel acting as the retaining member-between the wiper blade back and the channel-shaped-supportthat is articulate 'with respect to the arm end. i

Considering the objects aforesaid, the'attaching device according. to the present invention is. substantially characterized by the fact that it comprises'a-box=shaped.element, made'of a molded plastic materialfitted within the channel-shaped'support and intended to act as the anchorage member for the end of the spring plate orlamel opposed to themanipulatable en'd. Said element made of molded-plastic material is furtherintended to receivethe end of the cooperatingwiper blade in order to eliminate any noise duetto the connection between said parts.

These and other objects and features of the attaching device specification given with reference to the drawing annexed only as demonstrative example and=whereinz FIG. I is a longitudinal cross section'of the complete connecting device;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the channel-shaped element;

FIG. 3 is a top view of same;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the spring lamel or thin plate inserted within the channel-shaped element;

FIGS: 5 and 6 are a plan and a side view respectively of the wiper blade which is to be inserted in the box-shaped element;

and

FIG. 7 is a cross section along lineN II VII of FIGLI. With reference to the drawing,:-on the. back of the wiping blade, as known, the channel-shaped support indicated by I1 intended to project from the open end-of channel-shaped supelement 12 and hence against the bottom wall of the U-shaped support ll.'A secondpair of tongues 15, bent onto the back of spring 14 when the latter is mounted in its seat, prevent any longitudinal displacement of the spring, looking it with respect to the lower surface of the plastic material element 12, in cooperation with the retaining end 140 accommodated within the recess 12b. The channel shaped support 11 is provided with a third pair of tongues or projections 16 which are bent adjacent the open end of said support 11 and which are arranged to restrict deformation of section 14d of spring 14, during the manipulation thereof to disconnect the arm end from support 11. Cavity 120 is intended to receive the end'lS of an oscillating arm which is a part of the windshield wiper mechanism.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, said end 18 is provided with a retention seat 180 which is releasably engaged by tooth 140 of spring 14 as represented by dashed lines on FIG. 1. Wall 12 of plastic material element 12 limits the longitudinal insertion of end 18 of the oscillating arm. The end 18 is disposed in cavity 12c of channel-shaped support 11 and is entirely contained and in contact with plastic material element 12, except in the section-engaging tooth 140 of spring 14. The disconnection of end 18 from support I1 is'effected by engaging endl4d of spring I4 and deforming it utilizing its resilience until it reaches the position'shown by dashed lines in FIG.'1. In these according to the invention will appear from the following port 11, while the opposite-end I4u is'bent at approximately a 90 anglesSaidspring His furthervprovided with a retaining tooth 140, which due tozthe inclination of thelonger-section 14d, resiliently presses against the-.upper-wall of box-shaped conditions, tooth 14c disengages from seat 18a and therefore support! 1, together with the cooperating wiper blade, may be easily separated from the oscillating arm by applying a moderate longitudinal traction. As shown in'FIG. l, projections or tongues 16 acting as elements restricting the deformationmovement' of spring 14 lie odaplane'lower than the planes oftongues' 13 and 15. As itmay be seen fromFIG. 2, projections lfiare longer than projections 13 because, while projections 13 have to engage-the box-shaped'plastic material elementlZ with respect to support 11' but allow the deformation of spring-:14, projections 16must stop that deformation movement.

As represented in' FIG. I the box shaped'plastic material eIement'II-term'inates atsupport 11 bottom-with a tooth 12f, which when the support 11 is mounted'on' the'cooperating wiping blade, limits the inclination of said'support 1], namely, limitsits angular movement capacity aroundpinlo, by contacting thebackof the cooperating wiping blade. By varying the shape and the-length of tooth 12f the angle of the connecting device with respect to thewiping blade may be changed.

From what has been statedit is apparent that the connecting device according to the invention improvement besides having -a simplestructure presents the considerable advantage of eliminating'thedirect contact between the metal surfaces of the channel-shaped support and the end of cooperatingwiping blade, thereby reducing to a negligible value the noise of windshield'wiper device when it operates and to prolong the part's life.

It is obvious'thatthe present invention isnot limited to the example described and illustrated and that it comprises all the variants that may be made to the same.

What I claim is: luApparatus for releasably coupling the oscillating arm of an automatic windshield wiper mechanism to a wiper blade, said apparatus comprising: 7

ma U-shaped support-member-having means for coupling the wiper blade thereto,

b.'a plastic tubular'box-shaped element nested within said support member, saidelement having a first, elongated cavity for receiving and substantially enclosing the oscillating arm and a second cavity positioned at one end of said first cavity, the axis of said secondcavity being perpendicular to the'axis of said firstcavity,

c. an elongated plate spring having a first end defined by a right-angle bend, said spring being loosely mounted in said plastic element, the remainder of said spring being dinally spaced tongues, said first pair of tongues retaining said plastic element in said support member, said second pair of tongues retaining said spring within said plastic element, and said third pair of tongues limiting the movement of said second end of said spring. 

1. Apparatus for releasably coupling the oscillating arm of an automatic windshield wiper mechanism to a wiper blade, said apparatus comprising: a. a U-shaped support member having means for coupling the wiper blade thereto, b. a plastic tubular box-shaped element nested within said support member, said element having a first, elongated cavity for receiving and substantially enclosing the oscillating arm and a second cavity positioned at one end of said first cavity, the axis of said second cavity being perpendicular to the axis of said first cavity, c. an elongated plate spring having a first end defined by a right-angle bend, said spring being loosely mounted in said plastic element, the remainder of said spring being defined by a second end that includes two sections positioned at an obtuse angle with respect to each other, said first spring end being disposed in said second cavity, the opposite second end of said spring extending outwardly from said plastic element, said spring being further defined by a tooth formed integrally with said obtuse section remote from said first end for engaging the oscillating arm, and d. three pairs of opposed, laterally positioned and longitudinally spaced tongues, said first pair of tongues retaining said plastic element in said support member, said second pair of tongues retaining said spring within said plastic element, and said third pair of tongues limiting the movement of said second end of said spring. 